Members of POS & Ophthalmologists observe protest against Sales Tax Department Punjab

Ludhiana, December 30, 2013: All the members of Punjab Ophthalmological Society (POS) and Ophthalmologists observed protest day by wearing black badges to protest the high handedness of Sales Tax Department for conducting raids on the hospitals and houses of medical specialists and ophthalmologists at various places in Punjab and particularly at Patiala.
The POS executive committee decided to observe December 30 (today) as protest day during its meeting held on December 20 at Jalandhar.
Regarding the VAT: It is being projected by State Sales Tax Department that doctors are not the end users and so must pay VAT on the medicines and other materials purchased by them for their hospitals and nursing homes. But the existing rules and court judgments are of the opinion that doctors are the end users so are not required to pay VAT.
Dr. G.S.Bajwa, Secretary of Ludhiana Ophthalmological Society (LOS) informed that all the members of LOS today wore black badges in support of this to show solidarity with the medical fraternity. The LOS executive also condemned the raids conducted by Punjab Sales Tax Department and opined to have early resolution of this problem by the state government.